


Home Sick and Homesick

by sassy_Tuukka_Time_Tantrum



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Comfort, Family, Fluff, Gen, young Tuukka
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-14
Updated: 2015-11-14
Packaged: 2018-05-01 15:14:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5210633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassy_Tuukka_Time_Tantrum/pseuds/sassy_Tuukka_Time_Tantrum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After moving away from home to play hockey, sixteen year old Tuukka Rask never really experienced homesickness.  Until coming down with a fever changes that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Home Sick and Homesick

It started out as a bit of a tickle in the back of Tuukka Rask's throat before practice one morning. He didn't think much of it though. It was winter and he usually caught a cold around this time of year. That wasn't going to change because he was living in a larger city many kilometers from where he had grown up. He figured that if he drank some tea (despite his disliking of it) and went to bed early he'd be able to stave it off.

Despite his attempts to prevent the cold from getting worse, Tuukka woke up the following morning feeling quite sick. His body ached and his head was pounding and heavy. He could tell that he was running a fever without even having to take his temperature because he felt both hot and cold at the same time. He dragged himself out of bed to call the team manager to tell him that he was sick and wouldn’t be showing up for practice. He then returned to his bed to try and sleep off the fever he was running. 

\--

A few hours later he woke up to someone knocking at his door. He once again struggled to drag himself out of bed to open the door.

"Hey," One of his older teammates greeted, "Oh wow, you really do look awful. The manager told me that you were sick. I guess he wasn't kidding."

"What do you want?" Tuukka asked quietly.

"The manager told me to stay with you today. And I can understand why." He said as he placed his hand to the younger Finn's forehead, "You are quite warm. Get back to bed Tuukka, I'll make you some soup. Is this the first time getting sick while living on your own?"

"Yeah," Tuukka muttered.

"You should try calling your mother. It might help you feel a little better."

"I'll be fine," Tuukka muttered as he headed back to his bedroom.

“Stubborn kid.” 

\--

Shortly after eating a small dinner Tuukka began to doze off.

Tuukka found himself outside his childhood home. But something wasn't right. He found that even as he approached the house he never got closer. Then to his horror, the house caught fire. He tried running as fast as he could but to no avail, he never got any closer.

"MOM! DAD! JOONAS!" He screamed as he could feel the heat from the fire on his face as he ran.

After what felt like hours of running in place he fell to his knees, sobbing.

"Mom...dad...Joonas..."

The burning house faded from his view as he felt something cold on his hot forehead. And he shut his eyes.

\--

When he opened his eyes again, he was looking up at his teammate.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he pressed a cold compress to Tuukka's forehead.

"Nightmare..." Tuukka mumbled as he shook almost uncontrollably.

"Here," His teammate said as he handed the teenager a glass of water then his cordless phone, "Drink that then take my advice and call your parents."

Tuukka sat up and nodded.

"I'll leave you alone."

Tuukka carefully dialed his home phone number.

The phone rang twice, then "Hello?" The voice of Tuukka's thirteen year old Brother Joonas answered.

"Joonas...?" Tuukka asked quietly.

"Oh, it's just Tuukka," Joonas said, "I thought it was someone important. What do you want?"

"Can I talk to mom?" Tuukka asked softly.

"What do you want to talk to mom for? Mister I'm all grown up because I live alone."

"Just let me talk to mom!"

"Why?"

"Joonas please!" Tuukka pleaded trying hard to keep his composure. Joonas would never let him live it down if he started crying, "I'm sick and I just want to talk to mom!"

"Did you throw up on the ice again?"

"Joonas!" Tuukka cried as loud as his voice would let him, "Let me talk to mom! Give her the phone!"

"Okay fine. Here she is." Joonas said, “Here Tuukka wants to talk to you for some reason.”

"Mom..." Tuukka muttered weakly as his mother took the phone. 

"Tuukka, what's wrong?"

"I'm sick," he muttered trying hard not to cry. "And I just needed to talk to you for a bit.”

"Are you okay?"

"I think it's a cold," Tuukka muttered, "You don't need to come here...a teammate is staying with me until I feel better."

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?"

"Yeah mom," Tuukka said as he felt himself starting to calm down, "I'll be okay. Thanks for talking to me."

"Take it easy and rest okay? Keep me updated okay. Feel better. I love you."

"I will mom," Tuukka muttered he was unbelievably tired, "I love you too."

A few minutes after Tuukka ended the call, his teammate knocked on his door, “Tuukka, can I come in?”

"Yeah." Tuukka called.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm okay now," Tuukka said, "I'm just really tired."

"The first time you get sick away from home is the hardest. It doesn’t really get easier but eventually you’ll be able to deal with it better.”

Tuukka nodded. 

“Here, take some medicine and get some sleep. I’ll let the team manager know that you shouldn’t practice tomorrow."

Thanks," Tuukka muttered.

\--

Tuukka was resting on his couch when there was a knock as his door. “Could you get that?” He asked his teammate.

“Sure,” He said as he walked towards the door. When he opened it he was greeted by a woman that he had seen in all of the family photos that Tuukka had scattered around his apartment, “I’m guessing you’re here to see Tuukka?”

“Yes, I’m his mother.”

“I figured, you’re in all the pictures he has in his apartment,” He said as he stepped aside, "Tuukka, you have a visitor. And I’m gonna step out for a bit."

"I have a visitor?" Tuukka asked as he sat up a bit, "Mom! What are you doing here?"

"I was worried about you."

"I thought I told you I'd be okay." Tuukka said.

"You called me up crying last night. I don't care how old you get, if you call me up crying I'm going to worry. How are you feeling today?"

"Still kinda sick," Tuukka responded, "But better than I felt last night."

"You feel warm," She said as she placed her hand on Tuukka's forehead.

"My fever is lower than it was yesterday," Tuukka said, “You didn't have to drive all the way here though!"

"Like I said, you called me up crying last night. I don't care if you live hours away now, you're only sixteen. You're still technically a child."

Tuukka sighed, "Joonas isn't with you is he?"

"No, it's just me."

"Good, he'd just make fun of me." Tuukka muttered, "But why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"Tuukka, I know you, you would have lied and told me you were feeling better."

"You're not spending the night…are you?" Tuukka asked.

"Do you want me to? Be honest. Do you want me to stay the night?"

Tuukka sighed, "Yes," He muttered quietly.

“I’ll stay the night then.”

"What are you gonna do when I play in North America?" Tuukka asked, "You aren't gonna fly out to where ever I end up if I call you up and say I'm sick will you?"

"You'll be a little older when you play in North America. I'll still worry about you but you'll be an adult then. But now, you're still in the country and still just a teenager. I don’t mind driving out a few hours to make sure you’re okay.” 

Tuukka nodded as his teammate knocked on the door again. 

“Do you still need me to stay with you tonight?” His teammate asked as Tuukka opened the door.

“My mother is spending the night,” Tuukka responded, “You can go back to your apartment.”

“Okay. Feel better Tuukka.”

“Thanks.” 

\--

Irja was sitting on the arm chair reading a book while Tuukka slept on the couch. It wasn't until Tuukka started moaning in his sleep did Irja realize the reason why Tuukka had called her up crying the night before. Ever since Tuukka had been a child he had often dealt with vivid nightmares whenever he was ill. She sighed as she prepared a mug of hot tea for him to drink and a cold compress for his forehead knowing that it was only a matter of time before he woke up either screaming or crying. 

\--

Tuukka found himself in front of the rubble his childhood home. He carefully and almost unwilling wandered into the burned out home. Something told him to get as far away from the house as possible but at the same time, something stronger was almost forcing him to investigate. And, almost immediately, he came across the charred remains of his brother and his father.

"No! Dad! Joonas!"

"This is your fault."

"Mom?" He turned towards the kitchen and found his mother standing among the destruction. "What do you mean…this is my fault…?"

"This wouldn't have happened if you had stayed home."

"But you said you supported my decision to move away from home to play hockey."

"If you had stayed home we'd all still be alive."

"But you're still alive! You're staying with me tonight in Tampere!"

"Am I really?" She said as the kitchen around her caught fire consuming her body.

"MOM!"

\--

"Mom!" Tuukka shouted as his eyes snapped open.

"It's okay," Irja hushed as she tried to comfort her panicking son, "It's okay Tuukka. I'm here."

"Mom..." Tuukka whispered as he, for the second time in as many days, shook uncontrollably.

"Here," Irja said as she handed her son a steaming mug of tea, "This will make you sleep better tonight."

Tuukka nodded as he tried to slow his breathing.

"You had a nightmare last night too didn't you? That’s why you called me up crying isn’t it?"

Tuukka nodded as he took a small sip of the tea, "Why does this taste so familiar?" He asked.

"I used to make that for you whenever you were sick as a child."

Tuukka nodded. He wasn’t really a fan of tea but he never really minded the kind his mother made for him when he was sick. Once Tuukka was finished with the tea he rested his head on his mother's shoulder, "Thanks for coming." He said softly.

"You're welcome. Don't ever hesitate to call me if you need me. Here," She said as she handed her son the thermometer, "Check your temperature.” 

"Thirty-eight point eight (101.8)." Tuukka muttered.

"Take some medicine and try to get some sleep." Irja said, "I'll be here if you need me."

"Thanks mom," Tuukka muttered, "Good night, I love you."

"Love you too Tuukka."

\--

The following morning Tuukka woke up feeling much better.

"Good morning Tuukka," His mother greeted as he walked into his small kitchen.

"Morning." Tuukka greeted in his typical fashion as he sat down at the table.

"How are you feeling?"

"Not bad," Tuukka said, "A lot better than I have been."

"That's good," Irja said as she placed her hand to her son's forehead, "You don't feel warm. I'm going to head home today. If that's okay with you."

"It's fine." Tuukka said, "I'm feeling better."

"And I'll make a deal with you, the next time you call me up because you're sick, I'll ask if you want me to pay you a visit or not. I won't just show up like I did yesterday. Just as long as you promise to call me when you're not feeling well."

"I will." Tuukka said.

"Even if you just need to talk you can call me at any time. We have a little catching up to do." Irja said, "You can tell me more about the charming young woman who called here last night asking for you." 

Tuukka's face flushed and his eyes widened, "Shit I forgot she was gonna call last night!"

"She seemed to understand that you weren't feeling well and she said she’d call you again tonight," Irja said, "Maybe you could introduce me to her sometime."

Tuukka's face was still bright red as he nodded, "I'm gonna get dressed," He said, "There's a nice place not too far from here that has really good food if you wanted to do breakfast or lunch. I don’t really have a lot of food, I was supposed to go shopping yesterday."

"Breakfast sounds good and I'm sorry I embarrassed you. I just thought I’d let you know that your friend called."

"Thanks mom."

As much as Irja didn't want to admit it, her oldest son was growing up. However, no matter how old he got, Tuukka would still be her little boy.


End file.
